Rueben Chinyelu scored a career-high 21 points and Alex Condon nearly recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead No. 1 Florida to an 88-57 victory over Jacksonville on Thursday night in Gainesville, Fla.
The Gators (2-0) won their 36th consecutive home opener, imposing their will in the frontcourt behind Chinyelu, Condon and Thomas Haugh, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Chinyelu also grabbed eight rebounds, and Condon had three blocks as Florida won the battle of the boards 52-25.
The Gators, who have won the last six meetings between the teams, outscored Jacksonville 36-12 in the paint and collected 20 offensive rebounds to just eight for the Dolphins (1-1).
Jacksonville, which kept the game competitive in the first half, was led on the night by Hayden Wood’s 11 points and three rebounds and Jamie Phillips Jr.’s 10 points. However, the pair combined for just two points after halftime.
No. 2 Duke 113, Coastal Carolina 52
Patrick Ngongba II poured in a career-best 28 points and the Blue Devils routed the Chanticleers in Durham, N.C.
John Blackwell and Caleb Foster, playing in his 100th game for Duke (2-0), each racked up 15 points. Cayden Boozer posted 11 points and 12 assists. The Blue Devils shot 61.3 percent from the field and made half of their 22 attempts from 3-point range.
Trey Perry scored 14 points and reserve Jaevian Alston added 10 points for Coastal Carolina (0-2). The Chanticleers shot 30.2% from the field, including 4-for-22 on 3-point tries.
No. 3 Illinois 112, Penn 70
Andrej Stojakovic scored a game-high 25 points as the Fighting Illini dismantled the Quakers in Champaign, Ill.
Freshman Quentin Coleman scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting for Illinois (2-0). Freshman Ethan Brown recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Zavier Zens scored 18 points.
Michael Zanoni paced Penn with 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting in its season opener. The Quakers struggled against Illinois’ length and defensive pressure, shooting 29.1% (25-for-86) from the floor.
No. 5 Arizona 104, Cal Poly 84
Motiejus Krivas scored a career-high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and grabbed eight rebounds in the Wildcats’ victory over the Mustangs in Tucson, Ariz.
Ivan Kharchenkov finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals for the Wildcats. True freshmen Caleb Holt (21 points and eight rebounds) and Cameron Holmes (13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field) were also standouts.
Cal Poly (1-1) was led by Hamad Mousa, who made 8 of 10 attempts from 3-point range and finished with 30 points. Jason Scott added 17 points and hit 5 of 6 from beyond the arc.
No. 6 Michigan State 91, Toledo 61
Freshman Jasiah Jervis scored 16 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 12 points and nine assists to lead the Spartans past the Rockets in East Lansing, Mich.
Four players scored in double figures for Michigan State (2-0) in their final tune-up before facing No. 2 Duke on Tuesday in Chicago in the Champions Classic. Jordan Scott chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds, and Coen Carr added 10 points.
Mynor Strong scored 11 points and Jaylan Ouwinga added 10 for Toledo (0-2). The Rockets played without injured starting center Austin Parks.
No. 7 Texas 98, Gardner-Webb 50
The Longhorns overwhelmed its second consecutive nonconference opponent, cruising to a victory over the Runnin’ Bulldogs in Austin, Texas.
Texas (2-0) had seven players score in double figures, led by Matas Vokietaitis, who logged 16 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Johnson added 15 points for the Longhorns, who shot 60.7% from the field.
Jamias Ferere and Mikhail Pocknett each produced 12 points for Gardner-Webb (0-2), which shot 33.3% from the field.
No. 19 Texas Tech 76, Bethune-Cookman 58
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored a game-high 25 points, Cruz Davis added 15 and the Red Raiders handled the Wildcats in Lubbock, Texas.
Josiah Moseley added 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Texas Tech (2-0), which extended its nonconference home winning streak to 48 games.
Connor Teasley tallied 11 points while Jaylen Jones and Vuk Boskovic scored 10 apiece for Bethune-Cookman (0-2). The Wildcats twice pulled within six points in the second half to make the Red Raiders sweat.
No. 24 Vanderbilt 74, Wake Forest 51
Tyler Tanner scored 17 points, Ace Glass poured in 16 and the Commodores used several stretches of stingy defense to defeat the Demon Deacons in Nashville, Tenn.
Ant Brown Jr. came off the bench for 14 points, connecting on four 3-point shots, and Chandler Bing finished with 13 points as Vanderbilt defeated Wake Forest for the second year in a row.
Kevair Kennedy scored a game-high 20 points for Wake Forest (1-1), but the Demon Deacons couldn’t overcome shooting 35.1% from the floor.